


get well soon

by Freecure



Series: offset [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild mentions of unrequited love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 18:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20262490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freecure/pseuds/Freecure
Summary: Sora and Riku pay a visit to Twilight Town to see Roxas.sequel to:common ground





	get well soon

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is the beginning of a series that follows my fic [common ground](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19720642). I wanted to leave that as a standalone so if you want more, start here! This is the official sequel and I've got a [playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3y11QkExkvMXMcF0j9qLyS) to go with it! Hope you guys enjoy.

The sun sat lazily in the arms of the afternoon sky, boiling the ocean water and the residents of Destiny Islands with its harsh rays. Riku squinted his eyes and glared at it, as if that would scare it into submission. A large, cumulonimbus cloud eased its way over to give them a break from the sun’s assault and Riku basked in the moment of respite. More clouds followed the first and they surrounded the large burning star in a blanket of peace.

Time marched forward, seconds to minutes and the sky changed to show the passage of it. The blue swirled with a light tangerine and lemon yellow and Riku couldn’t look away. The breeze ruffled his airy light pink to blue gradient shirt. It went nicely with his butter yellow converse and distressed light blue jeans. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds and Riku’s glare returned in full force. After growing up on the islands, one would think he would’ve gotten used to how hateful the sun could be.

As the sky and all its elements shifted, Riku watched them, transfixed. That is, until Sora squeezed his hand and began to lead him down the beach, their hands firm and unbroken amongst the myriad changes of the firmament.

Sora dressed lightly, too. A white tank top that he threw on and a pair of casual red capris. His white sneakers were currently in Riku’s possession, held carefully by the index and middle finger of his left hand. Sora reached down into the water to grab a seashell and brought it up to his face, his eyes sparkling.

Riku cherished the sight. “How many more seashells do we need?”

Sora blinked rapidly, snapped out of his stupor. He looked to Riku with a sheepish expression. “Uhh,” he drawled, and then squeezed Riku’s hand as he started down the sand again. He held out his filler word as he searched the shallow waters for treasures. He found one, bright pink against the glimmering waters. Sora stopped, picked it up, examined it, and placed it in his pocket with the rest. He hadn’t taken a breath yet and Riku would’ve been impressed if he wasn’t so invested in getting a concrete answer.

“—hhhh, maybe two more?” Sora replied tentatively. He looked over at Riku for confirmation, as if it were _his_ idea they go seashell collecting before they left. “I think thirteen is a good number.”

“You haven’t told me what this is for yet,” Riku reminded him gently. Usually, their roles would be reversed. In their trio, Riku was known to be the best at picking out great looking seashells for any and all occasions, but this time, Sora wanted to pick them out himself.

With a sunny smile, Sora looked over at him. “You’ll see when we get there,” he said, an attempt at placation. It worked, at least for the time being. After collecting seashells for reasons unknown, they would head over to Twilight Town. Naminé had called the day before and informed them that Roxas was sick with his first cold. The affliction negatively affected his mood and his gloomy disposition led to her asking the cheeriest, brightest, and _sweetest _keyblade wielder to pay him a visit.

… And Riku was invited along, too.

Kairi, unfortunately, couldn’t make it. She and Ventus had been given a mission from Master Yen Sid. The details were scarce. Riku suspected it was more about seeing the fruits of their training than it was solving a problem, but he wasn’t sure. There had been strange happenings lately, whispers on the wind, chills down his spine. Riku kept checking his phone for an update from her but none came. He supposed, in this case, no news was good news.

“How have you and Roxas been doing lately?” Sora asked. They started walking again, the breeze carrying the salt of the sea and subtle warmth from the sun.

Riku heaved out a breath that held days of frustration and anxiety. “We’re doing okay,” he replied, his mouth scrunched up in dissatisfaction. “We haven’t really been talking this week. He’s been sending me pictures of angry cats.”

Sora stopped and turned slightly to look at Riku. “So he’s been taking selfies?” He said cheekily.

Riku coughed into a bright laugh that had Sora giving him one of those sweet smiles, the ones saved for when he or Kairi laughed too loudly or when they made a terrible pun joke. Sora squeezed his hand again and they kept going, nearing the bridge and the paopu tree. He stumbled suddenly, letting out a weird yelping sound that had Riku’s heartbeat skyrocketing and his senses immediately on high alert for danger.

But it was just a shell. _Two_ seashells, in fact. Sora smiled apologetically at him and picked them up, washing them off in the surf. After looking them over, he added them to the small collection in his pocket. They still held hands as they passed under the bridge.

“It’s hard to keep the conversation going,” Riku admitted, listing off his worries.

Sora hummed as they opened the old wooden door that led to the cove. “Have you tried asking questions?”

They ducked their heads as they passed through, exiting on the other side. Riku was reminded of when he’d visited the cove with Roxas during their weekend together. Sora was beside him, now, and his thoughts turned to races and paopu fruits and needless teasing that had been deeply rooted in insecurity and self-doubt. He loosened his hold on Sora’s hand, thinking it wrong to intertwine their fingers when Sora was likely interested in another, but Sora moved his own closer, holding on to Riku despite his attempt to create distance.

As he always did.

“I have,” Riku replied, jumping off the platform with Sora once they neared the edge. They waded through the shallow water, bypassing faulty obstacle courses and memories that Riku couldn’t bear to stomach at the moment. He glanced at the tower and pictured Roxas sitting on the edge of it, overlooking the island with an interested look in his eye. He’d wondered what Roxas had been thinking about in that moment. Riku wondered… if Sora and Kairi looked at _him_ with interest when he stared out into space, so absorbed in his thoughts and feelings that the outside world felt more like a dream than reality.

Sora swung their arms back and forth, unbothered by the cove and the memories it carried. “He was probably starting to feel sick by then,” Sora pointed out with a sympathetic smile. Beautiful, as all of Sora’s smiles were, but there was some essential missing piece, some small detail out of place. Riku didn’t know how to bring it up, but he trusted Sora to come to him with his problems. He’d gotten on to Riku about handling everything himself; surely Sora knew that it worked both ways?

Riku stepped over a mound of sand. “Mm, true.”

“What do you want to talk about with him?” Sora asked, tilting his head to the side as they rounded the far platform and continued past the lavender-topped trees.

With a sigh that adequately conveyed how exhausted he was of thinking on his current frenemyship, Riku answered. “... I just want us to become actual friends.”

They hopped the small fence that stood at the tail-end of the cove. Riku handed Sora his sneakers and socks. While Sora put on his shoes, Riku opened his palm and whispered the words to summon forth the element of ice. It whirled along the ocean’s surface, a frosty blue coat that allowed for light footsteps. Once Sora was ready, they stepped upon it to reach the tiny stretch of island that everyone forgot existed.

“Your heart’s in the right place,” Sora said, poking Riku’s chest and nearly making him hyperventilate. “That’s what matters.”

It was… reassuring to hear those words from the very person that had inspired him to follow his heart. Riku looked over at Sora. Ever the confident, helpful, optimist. He never failed to cheer Riku up, no matter what he was feeling. Riku wanted to return the favor. He wanted to be the one Sora turned to with his uncertainties, with his stress. But Riku wasn’t sure how to do that, either. Navigating relationships was challenging for him. He didn’t have the best track record when it came to such matters and he knew he hadn’t gotten better on his adventures.

Riku could count on Sora, Kairi and Mickey, at least. They wouldn’t leave him despite the choices he made and the words he said. “Right,” Riku muttered and bumped into Sora’s side.

That started a petty hip bumping competition that continued until they reached the gummiship.

They engaged in the usual routine of Riku dispelling and Sora unlocking and together, they walked into the ship. With a low rumble, it powered on. Riku sat in the cockpit with Sora right beside him, summoning his keyblade to open a gate to Twilight Town. As Sora poured his heart into the keyblade to take them where they needed to go, Riku crossed his legs and pulled out his phone.

No update from Kairi or Ventus so far. He tapped on his conversation with Roxas and stared at the various pictures of cats Roxas had sent him. Some of them were humorous and others… not so much. Riku had responded with question marks and emoji’s, which lead to more cat pictures. He was trapped in a cycle he didn’t fully understand, but it helped to know that Roxas’ behavior was likely fever induced.

Sora let out a loud whoop when the green and dark purple swirling gate appeared in the sky. Riku put his phone away and grabbed the controls, shooing Sora away to go sit in one of the ridiculously tall and stiffly uncomfortable white seats. As they steadily rose into the air, Riku watched as the clouds drew nearer, so close that he imagined reaching out his hand to touch their wispy white surfaces.

Sora sat down beside him, pulling out a few seashells and admiring them. Riku watched him out of the corner of his eye for a time, his thoughts turning to glow in the dark plastic ducks in cheap dispensers at the mall, silver metal glinting in the sunlight, and falsely chipper smiles. He had his suspicions; Sora was easy to read, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it, not with the raucous sound of the engine and the disquiet pulled tight in his stomach about their imminent visit to Twilight Town. There would be time later. It wasn’t the only thing he needed to talk to Sora about, anyway.

The gummiship began its journey when Riku eased the controls forward. The clouds passed them by quickly as they entered the gate. Riku watched them contemplatively. He thought again of the sky and it's ever-changing colors and unending presence. Throughout memories and daydreams, it was always beautiful. It was beautiful the day he'd opened the door, a terrifying swirl of violet and obsidian with a drop of crimson. It was beautiful the day they’d returned home, a honeyed glow that perfectly captured the feeling of a well deserved happy ending. And it was beautiful the day Sora died, devastatingly so. The sky remarkably shined on the worst day of Riku’s life.

That beautiful sky and that fleeting smile deepened Riku’s resolve. He wanted to bring Sora back so that he could admire the sky right along with him, with _everyone_, like he deserved to. So he followed Sora, just as he always would. Into the deepest, darkest abyss, into the farthest reaches of the cosmos, past the most mysterious and magical worlds. Riku would brave and overcome it all.

And he _had_. In an unusual world with magic and rules all it’s own, he’d chased after Sora and brought him safely home. But battles changed people, left scars and bruises on the inside as well as the outside. _Death_ changed people, in an irreversible way that couldn’t be solved with words or physical affection. Some fundamental aspect of them was gone, replaced by a finality that matured their understanding.

When they returned, they took the time to admire the sky together, but with jaded eyes.

It wasn’t the same.

"That's strange," Riku mumbled aloud as they neared the mansion. The tops of the trees moved furiously, leaves were thrust into the air and their sharp corners scratched against the hull and windows of the gummiship. They experienced turbulence as they approached the clearing. Sora applied a gravity spell to his shoes and walked about the ship freely. No matter how Riku navigated, Sora stood unflinchingly straight and studied the monitors embedded in the dashboard.

"The wind is doing damage to some of our gummiblocks," Sora informed him, pressing buttons to silence alarms and warning signals.

"Which side?"

"Starboard," Sora replied with a quick nod to the right. "We'll have to fix them later."

Riku didn't answer. He focused on lowering the ship carefully to minimize damage. Agonizingly slowly, they descended but no other alarms went off.

"_Sheesh_," Sora grumbled, whisking away the gravity spell from his feet with an experienced hand. "What is going on with Twilight Town?"

"And why hasn't anyone told us anything...?" Riku muttered curiously.

The ship powered off and the ramp eased out and settled onto the grass. The wind whipped ruthlessly around them. It felt like an aero spell gone wrong; too much magical power and not enough control. Sora linked his arm through Riku's and lead the way to the back door of the mansion.

A little wind couldn't faze them, not when they'd fought death itself. Riku enjoyed the feeling of Soras arm around his and smiled to himself as they stepped through the clearing. The wind had wrestled away the blooming flowers, leaving short-cut grass and dirt behind.

Once they reached the back door, Riku knocked loudly so as to be heard over the heavy gales. They only had to wait a few seconds. Naminé appeared and rushed toward the screen door to open it. She struggled with the latch but pulled it open after two tries. Sora and Riku quickly stepped inside and aided Naminé in sliding the door closed behind them.

"Naminé," Sora greeted, wrapping her in a hug as he smoothed back her wind tossed hair. "Is everyone okay?"

"We're fine," she replied breathlessly. She pulled away and smiled softly at Sora before turning to Riku for a hug. She squeezed Riku for only a moment before letting go. "I'm relieved you two got here safely."

"It'll take more than some wind to stop us," Sora assured confidently.

The screen door rattled and shook, trying to withstand the force of the wind outside with little to no reinforcement. Naminé looked visibly worried. She turned to Riku with a soft smile. “Would you mind…?”

“Not at all,” Riku said, and summoned Braveheart in his right hand. He held it out in front of him and locked the screen door with magic. It wasn’t perfect, but it would hopefully hold up until the winds ceased and the weather returned to normal.

“Thank you, Riku,” Naminé said kindly. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and adjusted her light green blouse. It complimented her high waisted maroon pants nicely. Riku wondered how Roxas got away with wearing skinny jeans so much when the rest of his roommates seemed to be so trendy.

"Do you guys have any clue what's going on with the weather?" Riku asked, motioning to the commotion outside.

Naminé shook her head. "No idea. We thought a heartless was responsible at first, but Xion and Lea haven’t found anything. They’re still out looking, though."

Sora hummed thoughtfully, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It could be nobodies," he suggested.

Naminé’s soft blue eyes flickered between them. A disconnection. She knew something they didn’t. "We… haven’t seen any nobodies since the Keyblade Graveyard."

He and Sora both froze. That… didn’t make any sense. There were still heartless about, which meant nobodies _had_ to be creeping around somewhere. If not in Twilight Town, then where? The World That Never Was? Would they return to their broken, crumbled world without an Organization to belong to? Without a superior to follow?

“Huh…” muttered Riku, placing his hands on his hips. He had half a mind to consult Mickey about the matter. He was more experienced with these things, but then again, so was Xion, Lea, Naminé and—

“How’s Roxas doing?” Sora asked suddenly.

Naminé gestured with a hand for them to follow. “He’s doing better, but still moping about. He’s taking his medicine, at least.”

Riku couldn’t help a smile. “He wasn’t taking it before?”

“No,” she said, leading the way to the kitchen. “Lea practically had to force it down his throat.”

Sora snickered beside him and bumped into Riku’s side. They were gonna have a time, for sure.

The four of them had drastically transformed the mansion from when DiZ, Naminé and himself had taken residence in it. Riku couldn’t imagine the amount of work it took to make it inhabitable for an extended period of time and _also_ make it appealing, but they’d done it. At the unveiling three months ago, it looked stunning. Now, it felt _lived _in, accommodating, and natural.

The tiling in the foyer was light tan which complimented the light blue wallpaper. Watercolor pictures hung on the second floor, no doubt Naminé’s work. Above them, several chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Majestic and luminescent, they illuminated the entire two floors. There were plenty of accent colors, accessories and furniture here and there to breathe life into the mansion to make it a home. Large, potted plants with leaves that touched the floor, a glass end table near the entrance of the mansion with a decorative bowl on it with a cadenza off to the side with small trinkets on it. Naminé led them past a door that used to be blocked, but now the path was clear and led to the kitchen.

Blue with white and brown accents, it was humble and welcoming. In the far corner sat a dining table, glass top with black cherry wooden legs. The cabinets matched the wood of the table but with a white outline to brighten them up. There were plenty of appliances lined on the kitchen counters; a toaster, microwave, waffle iron, and blender. Naminé opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of orange juice. “Do you two mind giving Roxas some medicine when you visit with him?”

“Nope!” Sora said, stepping over to help Naminé. Riku walked around the kitchen, observing things, reacquainting himself since it’d been a while. There was a basket of fruit on the kitchen table, but it only held two green pears. Did no one in the house like pears? Riku took one and did his part to relieve them of the burden.

“He hasn’t been giving you trouble, has he Naminé?” Riku asked, crunching into his pear. Tart, but not too bad.

Naminé handed Sora a glass of orange juice meant for Roxas. She frowned when Sora took a sip. “Well… he hasn’t been _completely_ cooperative.”

“What?” Sora said, surprised. “Naminé, he’d do anything for you.”

“He has a fever and he’s grumpy because his coughing keeps him from sleeping,” Naminé sighed, grabbing a bowl from the upper cabinet. “When Roxas doesn’t get sleep, he’s _especially_ cranky.”

Riku took another bite of his pear but didn’t chew. He thought on how Roxas had almost broken his finger for waking him up around eleven, a perfectly reasonable hour to be awake in _Riku’s opinion_. Would it be wise to visit Roxas now when he’s so irritable and grouchy? “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea…” he muttered. Roxas’ room could be completely covered in darkness. They’d open the door and be consumed.

“_What?_” Sora incredulously asked, looking at Riku with wide blue eyes. “Riku, we have to be supportive. Roxas is miserable!”

“He is,” Naminé agreed, using a ladle to pour some soup into the bowl she’d gotten down earlier. “He wasn’t himself when Hayner, Pence and Olette visited before the winds started, either.”

“_See?_” Sora said, moving in front of Riku to show him how serious he was. “We _have_ to see him.” He looked down at the half-eaten pear in Riku’s hand and traded him for the glass of orange juice. He immediately took a bite out of it and glared up at Riku with his mouth full. “It’s his _first _cold!”

Riku took a step back and moved Roxas’ glass of orange juice out of the way. “You’re getting pear juice all over me.”

“Punishment for you thinking this is a bad idea!”

“Look, Roxas can be…” Riku searched for the right words, but then remembered how Roxas treated Sora so differently compared to everyone else.

“Difficult?” Naminé and Sora suggested at the same time. They had a knowing expression on their faces and Riku knew immediately that he was beat. Perhaps if they sent Sora in first, they could avoid total disaster.

Riku sighed, stole back his pear from Sora, and took one last crunchy bite out of it. “Fine, but Sora goes in front.”

Naminé nodded. “I agree.”

“Sure!” Sora said, oblivious to Roxas’ true nature, to the darkness that could slither and swirl around fingers and saucers. They helped Naminé place a bowl of chicken noodle soup, the glass of orange juice, and a single dose of medicine on a tray. Riku took on the responsibility of carrying it as Naminé led the way out of the kitchen and crossed the parlor to the other side.

The room had been a dining room prior to the remodeling. There’d been a dining room table, tragically broken in the middle of the floor, as well as dusty old-fashioned windows, a malfunctioning wall clock, and suspicious suits of armor. Riku was curious as to how it looked after Roxas had gotten his hands on it.

His room in the virtual Twilight Town had been heavily inspired by Sora’s, spiced up with new trends from Twilight Town and Naminé’s own suggestions. Roxas only influenced it when he brought things into it. New clothes, new decorations, ugly tissue boxes that Riku _still_ didn’t understand. But Roxas had his own life now and a part of Riku itched to see Roxas’ interests and the different aspects of his personality.

Naminé knocked on Roxas’ door in a set rhythm, seven quick raps that sounded like a song. The quiet sound of movement came from behind the door. “Roxas? I brought more medicine.”

“Oh, _joy_,” Roxas growled, his voice low and haggard. He sounded like a seventy-two year old man instead of a fifteen year old. Riku shifted on his feet, a foreboding feeling circling his stomach in uncomfortable turns.

“You have guests, too,” Naminé added, her hand on the doorknob. “Can we come in?”

Silence. Quiet, uncertain silence that only made the feeling Riku felt worsen. Would it be better if he handed Sora the tray and waited in the gummiship? Riku felt it would be better if he handed Sora the tray and waited in the gummiship. He faltered slightly, hands shaking as he prepared to hand Sora the tray and wait—

“Fine,” Roxas finally answered, a coughing fit immediately following his words. Naminé wasted no time in turning the doorknob and pushing the old door open. Sora bypassed her, taking the lead as he entered the room. Naminé held the door open for Riku to pass through.

The smell of sea-salt and rain hit Riku’s nose, overpowering the smell of chicken broth and citrusy orange. Roxas’ room had many details to it and Riku stood in the doorway like an idiot as he took them all in. Discarded ice cream wrappers peppered the floor. A dresser was placed on the back wall, a few photos and a stylish blue fish lamp decorated it. Next to the dresser was a reach in closet that was slightly open. A bright glint caught Riku’s eye and he noticed a silver piece of metal along a black coat. The dark fabric touched the floor due to the length, the pockets and seams ingrained into Riku’s mind.

So. Roxas had kept his, too.

There were the usual things that every teenager had in their room: a television, a desk with a chair, posters, and plenty of books. Aside from that, there was a tissue head that Riku shouldn’t have been surprised to see on the desk, a large, highly unnecessary hook hanging from the wall above Roxas’ bed, a black bean bag chair, and a few potted plants hanging about. Purple, pink and white, they brightened up Roxas’ largely blue, black and gold room.

Propped up against the wall on a folding stand was a white guitar with a black and white checkerboard strap. Riku stared at it for a long moment before turning his attention elsewhere.

The glass of the three windows he recalled being there before had been replaced and refitted. Slightly wider, the forest surrounding the mansion was visible through their panes. Roxas’ bed sat just underneath them with light blue sheets and a black comforter that was currently wrapped around Roxas’ person. As he sat up facing them, the only thing that was visible was his face and a few bangs of his dark blonde hair. He looked like a snail, the comforter forming a large shell that protected his body from the cold. His face was flushed, his nose runny and his eyes barely open as he regarded them. They widened the slightest fraction as Sora bounded over to him with jovial steps.

“_Roxas!”_ Sora exclaimed, opening his arms and hugging the sick bundle that was Roxas tightly.

“Sora, don’t!” Roxas scolded, his voice raspy. “You’ll get sick—”

“You think I care about getting sick?” Sora asked, giving Roxas a squeeze that made his eyes bulge out. “I’m getting my hug whether you like it or not!”

Roxas said nothing after that, surrendering himself to Sora’s affection and love as they _all _had at one point or another. Sora pulled Roxas’ head into his chest and nearly suffocated him, but Riku saw no reason to end their cheerful reunion. It was why they came.

“Oh!” Sora said suddenly, jumping back to reach into his pocket. “I brought you something.” He dug into the pocket of his capris, the sound of seashells clacking together making Roxas’ eyes widen in awe. Sora pulled out five in his hand and showed them to Roxas.

“You…” Roxas couldn’t take his eyes off the seashells. Riku watched, confused and perplexed as Roxas freed his right hand from the confines of his blanket and picked up a pink shell. “You remembered…”

“Of _course _I remembered!” Sora told him, sounding offended. He moved to the left, toward Roxas’ pillow and began to place the seashells beside it. One by one, he aligned them just right. Twelve pretty shells of different size, shape and color right next to where Roxas laid his head at night. Riku understood it was a touching gesture, even if he didn’t have the full meaning. Sora was like that; recalling words said offhandedly, quiet wishes not meant to be taken seriously, and he _acted_ upon them. Sora listened to his friends and devoted himself to keeping them happy.

He’d certainly made Roxas happy. His eyes glistened with tears, shining in the low light of the room and his smile brightened it up, a wave of light that passed over all three of them. Riku stood there slack jawed as Roxas smiled _beautifully_ just as he had on the dock. He wasn’t used to seeing it, but he liked it. He certainly wouldn’t mind if Roxas smiled more often.

Roxas lifted the pink shell up to his ear. A relatively small shark eye, by the looks of it. Sora was lucky to find one so intact. Roxas closed his eyes and listened and Riku smiled at the innocence of it all.

“Can you hear it?” Sora asked gently, a calmness in his eyes, like soothing blue waters.

“Yeah…” Roxas said, opening his eyes and lowering his hand to admire the shell. “Yeah, I can.”

Riku kept it to himself that being able to hear the ocean from a seashell was a well known myth. That what Roxas was _really_ hearing was the ambient noise in the room. He wouldn’t dare ruin the moment with such insensitive facts. There were some things that needed to be left to the imagination. Those small things added an excitement to life that he found himself missing as he grew older, as he took on more responsibility, as he saw the reality of the world. Though Riku didn’t know the whole story, he suspected the seashells were something that became significant while Roxas had been working with the Organization. A nice memory during an otherwise difficult time. Riku didn’t want to change that.

Naminé moved into the room then, not wanting to interrupt Sora and Roxas’ moment. She placed a hand on Riku’s shoulder and reached for the small cup of red medicine on the tray. With careful hands, she took it and made her way to Roxas. It was _astounding_ how quickly the elation left Roxas’ face once he caught sight of the medicine. He slumped in his blankets and pulled them closer until only his eyes and bangs could be seen.

“It’s not that much,” Naminé said soothingly. “You can have orange juice to wash it down with.”

“It’s _poison_, Naminé,” Roxas told her, narrowing his eyes. “It doesn’t heal, it _kills_.”

Sora, who was supposed to be helping, leaned a hand on Roxas’ bedside table and tried to stifle his giggles. Riku wasn’t too far behind in joining him.

“Two gulps and you’re done,” Naminé said, showing him the paltry amount of liquid he needed to swallow.

“It’s not that bad, seriously,” Sora said, placing a hand on Roxas’ shoulder.

Roxas’ sharp blue eyes focused on Sora. “It’s _cherry flavored._”

“Oof,” Sora said, taking his hand away. “Yeah, that’s…”

“They were out of the blueberry flavor,” Naminé explained.

Sora shrugged sympathetically. “Can’t help that.”

Roxas bent forward and groaned, his head resting against the sheets. Riku found the whole predicament entertaining. When he was a child and things were simpler, he didn’t get sick often. When he did, he’d take his medicine without complaint. He did _many_ things without complaint back then.

“Fine! _Fine_,” Roxas relented, sitting up quickly, thick eyebrows drawn together in annoyance. “I’ll take it.” He looked at Riku. “Prepare the juice.”

Their eyes met for the second time since Riku had entered the room.The first had been more of an acknowledgement; Roxas’ ailed gaze had lacked proper cognizance. Now, they truly saw each other. Briefly, but that was all it took for Riku to feel nervous again. He stepped forward with the tray, looking to the side as Roxas gulped down his medicine. After a quick clearing of his throat, he reached forward and grabbed the orange juice off the tray, easily downing half of the glass like it was nothing.

Sora clapped Roxas on the shoulder again, all cheers and smiles because he wasn’t the one who had to take disgusting, cherry flavored medicine. “Look at you!”

Roxas tilted his head to look at Sora. “Are you being condescending?”

“I’m being _supportive!”_

“It’s hard to tell,” Roxas said in a snarky tone.

A dulcet melody interrupted them, mid-tempo, in four-four time. Riku didn’t know the song, but it sounded pleasant enough. Naminé jumped to attention and looked at all three of them apologetically.

“That’s Xion,” she said, placing the empty medicine cup back on the tray. “She might have some new information. I should—”

“Go ahead,” Riku said, nodding his head towards the door. Naminé smiled at him before turning and leaving. She closed the door behind her, leaving the three of them alone as the sound of her footsteps receded.

Riku looked down at the tray he still held. The steam from the chicken noodle soup tickled his nose. “Uh…”

“Right!” Sora said, reading the room and Riku’s plain discomfort. He stepped over, took Roxas’ nearly empty glass of orange juice to place on the bedside table, and handed him the warm bowl of soup. “Nothin’ like chicken noodle soup to chase that cold away.”

Roxas took the bowl begrudgingly, holding it in his lap as he stared down at the chicken, sliced carrots, and noodles swirling together in a light broth. “I dunno, it hasn’t worked the past five times I’ve eaten it.” He looked up at Sora and Riku, blue eyes darting between them. “You guys can sit. I’ve got a chair and a, uhm—”

“I call the bean bag!” Sora hollered, running behind Riku to collapse onto it face first. He mumbled something into the fabric that neither Roxas or Riku could catch. With the bean bag taken, Riku turned and placed the tray he’d been carrying for ten minutes atop Roxas’ desk. There were papers strewn about, textbooks, pencils and pens, but Riku moved them aside to make room. Once his hands were free, he pulled the chair closer to Roxas’ bed. Not too close, but enough so that they could comfortably have a conversation. Roxas flashed him a quick smile for his effort and Riku’s heart just about stopped.

“Sora,” Roxas called, twirling his spoon around in his soup. “You gonna join us?”

Lazily, Sora turned around on the bean bag, eyes closed in perfect relaxation. “I’m so _comfy_.”

Seeing as how Sora had turned to mush, Riku leaned forward, grabbed the bean bag, and pulled it over to where they could all see each other. Sora went along for the ride and Riku realized, a little bit too late, that Sora had been _counting _on him doing that.

They formed a semicircle around Roxas’ bed, both chairs situated in front of it. Roxas seemed pleased with the arrangement and stopped stalling on eating his soup, bringing the first spoonful to his mouth to slurp noisily.

“Wait,” Sora said, opening his eyes at the noise. “Have you had anything besides soup?”

“I’ve had grilled cheese,” Roxas replied between chews. “And crackers.”

“Ouch,” Riku winced. When he was sick, his meals were light and consisted of fruits and vegetables with water to wash it down with. Not the most appetizing meal for a child, but it was better than what Roxas was going through.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Sora sat up in disbelief. “You haven’t had _any _ice cream?”

Riku couldn’t believe the words that just came from Sora’s mouth. He looked at his best friend, a strange mix of confusion and amusement on his face. “Ice cream isn’t really something you—”

“_None_,” Roxas interrupted and then turned to Riku with a fire in his eyes. “And don’t finish that sentence. Ice cream is applicable in any situation.”

“_Any_ situation,” Sora agreed.

Riku looked between them, nervousness taking a backseat to bafflement as it was two against one in favor of having ice cream with a cold. Perhaps he’d missed out during his childhood. Or perhaps Sora and Roxas were in denial about their addiction.

“No wonder you haven’t gotten better.” Sora stared down at his shoes for a moment before he placed his hands on his thighs with a decisive slap. “I’m getting you some ice cream, Roxas.”

Roxas gave him a lopsided smile. “Appreciate the thought, but Lea hid it all. Said I can’t have any ‘till I’m better.”

“Lea’s wrong, and I’m gonna _buy_ you some,” Sora said, standing up proudly. He bounced back to life as he set a new goal for himself. “‘Sides, I promised I’d buy all your ice cream for you from now on, didn’t I?”

“You did,” Roxas nodded. “And you have made good on your promise.”

Riku thought that was an understatement, considering Sora had dedicated the past weekend to buying boxes and boxes of ice cream and unloading them in a professional flat top display freezer, which he had _also_ purchased. Sora was practically made of munny with all the adventures he’d been on.

Sora sniffed and swiped at his nose, a quirk that Riku personally found endearing. His smile grew soft as his best friend brimmed with determination. “Heh. So, as your lifetime supplier of ice cream, _I _will go buy you one.”

Riku’s admiration quickly shifted into exasperation. “Sora, I don’t know if you forgot, but there’s basically a tornado outside.”

Sora rounded on him. “Riku, I don’t know if _you_ forgot, but I’ve handled way worse than a little wind.”

“Yeah, _Riku_,” Roxas said, taking Sora’s side. “Sit down.”

“I _am_...”

“So! I’ll be back.” Sora climbed up onto Roxas’ bed and they both realized that he intended to go through the _window_ instead of out the back screen door. Roxas cradled his bowl of soup and Riku watched helplessly as Sora unhooked the latch of one of the windows and let in a swirling gale that sent the papers on Roxas’ desk running rampant and the old ice cream wrappers on the floor skittering about as if they were living. Before Sora jumped through, he looked back at them with a wink. “You two play nice.”

And he was gone with a final burst of wind.

Roxas reached over, closed the window, and hooked it back. His blanket hung off his shoulder, revealing the black t-shirt he was wearing as pajamas. As if what just happened _didn’t_ just happen, Roxas returned to his soup sans the blowing since the wind alone had chased all the heat out of the room.

Three went down to two and Riku’s anxiety reached an all time high despite the amicable air in the room. He hid it well, he thought. As Roxas took slow slurps of his soup, Riku held his left thumb in the index finger and thumb of his right. He pressed down on it and tried to distract himself, eyes focusing on a hole in his jeans.

There was no reason to be nervous. Riku repeated the words to himself as he tried to ignore the sound of awkward slurps of cold soup. Roxas had been hospitable and friendly. No glares, no threats, no keyblades pointed at his chest. They’d talked it out. They were _better_. But a part of Riku felt some deep seated doubt that clung to his heart irritably.

“You okay?”

Riku’s head snapped up, looking to Roxas in surprise. “Y-yeah.”

“You sure?” Roxas asked, speaking around the spoon he’d just placed in his mouth. “‘Cause you look terrified.”

That sounded accurate. Riku huffed, his lips twitching up in a smile that was gone as quick as it came. “I just—”

“Look, if you’re scared of getting sick, don’t be,” Roxas assured him, dipping his spoon back into his soup. He swirled it around the bowl aimlessly, picking up chunks of chicken and letting them fall back into the liquid with a distinct plop. “You’re far enough away that you won’t catch anything… I _think_.”

“I’m not afraid of getting sick,” Riku said, courage returning in small spurts.

“Oh,” Roxas said, reaching over to his bedside table to get his glass of orange juice to take a sip. “Then what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Riku interrupted, berating himself inwardly at how stupid he was being. Sora had told him how important sharing ice cream was with Roxas, how seriously he took friendship. Riku had no reason to doubt that.

“So,” Riku pushed himself to say, eyebrows furrowing in worry when Roxas started coughing. But Roxas waved that concern off, downing his glass of orange juice to ease his inflamed throat. “The... cat pictures?”

Roxas returned the glass back to the table as well as the still partially empty bowl of soup. He laughed as he did so, careful to not disturb the arrangement of seashells by his pillow. “What about ‘em?”

“Uh,” Riku’s anxiety gave way to embarrassment as he felt his cheeks grow warm. “_Why?_”

Roxas snorted, apparently thinking Riku was joking at first, but when he took in Riku’s expression, his own changed into a subtle bewilderment. “You were supposed to send me a pic back, but you didn’t. So I kept going.”

That only worsened Riku’s confusion. How was he supposed to know that? He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again and got a few syllables out before speaking plainly. “_What?_”

They stared at each other for a split second before Roxas dove under his blankets in search of something. When he returned from his excursion, he held out his phone for Riku to see. It was a conversation between Roxas and Pence. “Like… like _this_.”

The two of them sent pictures back and forth, some of them with words on them. It continued for days, _weeks_ as Roxas scrolled down with his index finger. Riku was able to follow some of what they were saying. They used the right picture to respond to the last thing the other person had said and communicated that way. So, Roxas’ cat pictures were an attempt at… whatever this type of conversation was called.

Riku sat back in his chair, feeling even _more_ embarrassed and stupid as he crossed his arms. “Oh.”

“Don’t tell me,” Roxas said, stuffing his phone back under his pillow. “You only use text to talk to people, don’t you?”

“Well, it’s called _texting_,” Riku told him, getting defensive.

That made Roxas laugh, charming and jubilant despite the rawness of his throat. Riku sat back in surprise, staring wide-eyed at him. He wasn’t used to that, either.

Roxas cleared his throat when he was finished laughing at Riku’s expense, which he wasn’t upset about. “You’ve got a lot to learn,” Roxas said.

Riku smiled hesitantly, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Maybe if you’d just _told _me from the start.”

Roxas rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he said, pulling his blanket over his shoulder again, returning to his earlier snail form. “So, have you talked to Sora yet?”

What a subject change. Riku nearly fell forward and hit his forehead on Roxas’ bed. He sat up quickly, embarrassment returning in a rush of blood to his ears and cheeks. “No, I haven’t… had time to—”

“You haven’t had time or you keep putting it off?” Roxas asked, looking bored as he pinned Riku with a stare.

Wow, Riku didn’t appreciate being called out like that. He tried to look irate as he cobbled together a response. “Look, I—We just seriously hadn’t had time to talk about anything serious.”

Roxas looked doubtful but he dropped it for the time being. “Then have you at least planned out what you’re going to say to him when you finally _do_ talk?”

Riku had given it some thought, careful consideration, notes, planning, writing, _everything _because he wanted his confession to go as perfectly as it possibly could. Still, talking about something so serious with Roxas was... He still wasn’t sure why Roxas had such confidence that everything would work out.

“I have, uh, thought about what I want to say to him…”

“Cool,” Roxas nodded, sitting up straighter, looking attentive. “Let me hear it.”

Again, Riku almost fell out of his chair. He didn’t bother hiding his shock at being asked such a personal question. Telling Roxas his confession? When they were still frenemies? The thought was terrifying and possibly damning when he considered how close Roxas and Sora were. Riku would be expressing feelings that he kept close to his chest.

But… hadn’t they done that with each other? Riku hadn’t told anyone about his struggles with forgiving himself for being manipulated by DiZ. Not even Sora or Mickey. That pain had been given to Roxas. The stupidity, failure and desperation had been placed at Roxas’ feet as a sign of good will. Riku had done so willingly, and Roxas had shared in so many of those feelings. The drive to save someone important, for things to go back to the way they had been.

They understood each other in a way that Riku couldn’t find in anyone else. Roxas had comforted him about the selfsame subject two weeks ago and he hadn’t said anything to Sora so far. Riku needed to trust in that, in Roxas’ intentions.

“Fine,” Riku said shakily, reaching up to swipe at his bangs. He took a moment to think on what he’d say first, staring down at his converse with fear clogging his throat. “I—I think I want to go into it talking about how close we are, first. Talking about everything we’ve been through.”

Roxas took a moment to consider. “Okay, so far so good.”

“And,” Riku continued after Roxas’ positive encouragement, “I thought I’d lead into… how important Sora is to me.”

A flash of something crossed Roxas’ eyes, a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ flicker of emotion that had Riku squinting and leaning forward slightly. He wondered if that had something to do with the order of his confession or if it was a trick of the light, a shadow playing tricks.

“And after that?” Roxas asked, voice calm and patient. Riku wasn’t used to the lack of insults or jabs that made up their frenemyship. He was walking on eggshells, gauging Roxas’ reaction after each word that came from his mouth.

“Well,” Riku muttered, heart beating rapidly as he thought over his notes and hastily written words that sounded too sappy but also not sappy enough. “I thought… I’d ask him what he thinks of me.”

Roxas’ frown was deep and disappointing. He looked more drained from their conversation than his sickness. “Don’t do that,” Roxas advised, tone flat. “Just tell him you love him and move on from there.”

Riku blinked, stumped on what to say to that. He didn’t think it was best to rush through a confession, but Roxas’ input was welcome. He knew Sora well, had spent time in his heart. Riku didn’t want to discount his advice, but he would like to know the reasoning behind it. “I just thought—”

“I think,” Roxas interrupted, looking away from Riku with furrowed brows, “drawing out your confession for as long as you can to delay a rejection that _isn’t _going to happen, is cowardly.”

It felt as if Roxas had just punched him in the face. Riku stared wide-eyed at him. That… was uncalled for. Even if they were _frenemies_, that was taking things a bit too far. A swirl of agitation coiled in Riku’s chest, a defensiveness that he felt was justified. He’d been honest with Roxas, a virtue that he so heavily put emphasis on, and yet he’d spat in Riku’s face, unprovoked. This is what Riku expected to happen during their weekend together. To be met with scorn and anger instead of a warm hand. But Roxas had proven how strong his heart was, how strong _he_ was. Riku didn’t understand the sudden change when _Roxas _had asked _**him **_to expose himself and share his confession plans.

“There’s a certain way I’d like to do this,” Riku said, narrowing his eyes as he stood his ground. “It’s not everyday I confess to my best friend and I want to do it right.”

“And your idea of doing it right is asking how Sora feels about you _before_ you actually say the words so that you can back out if he doesn’t feel the same?” Roxas asked, looking angrier than he had any right to be. “You’re that ashamed of your feelings?”

“I’m not _ashamed_ of anything!” Riku snapped, a small burst of darkness slipping through despite his control. “I want to hear what he has to say.”

Roxas’ own darkness answered in reply, wisps fizzling into the air and dispersing into nothingness. “And _I’m _saying that what he has to say shouldn’t have any bearing on your own feelings.”

“It won’t!”

“Your confession plans say otherwise.”

They glared at each other then, threads and surges of darkness disrupting the energy of the room, the mansion, and the entire _forest._ Roxas’ comforter had fallen to his shoulders, unkempt dark blonde hair free in the open air. Riku’s nails were digging into the denim of his jeans, his jaw clenched tightly as he regarded Roxas with a glare that he never used on people he considered friends.

But, then again, they _weren’t _friends, were they?

Back in the cave, Roxas hadn’t been so callous. He’d listened to what Riku had to say and offered reassurance. What had changed between now and then to warrant such a strange reaction? Riku could blame the sickness for many things, but not for this. There had to be a reason for the hostility, for the darkness curling about in the air that whispered of resentment.

Riku forced himself to take a few deep breaths, frustrated at himself. With each deep inhale and slowly released exhale, his darkness returned from whence it came. Something was bothering Roxas, and he needed to get to the bottom of it. It’d started when he’d asked about his talk with Sora out of the blue, and that flicker in his eyes… Could that have possibly meant something?

Tenderly, Riku cradled the darkness in his heart. He returned that hurt and aggrievance to light. No keyblades had been summoned. That was something, at least.

“Roxas,” Riku said, the fire leaving his eyes as his regarded his _frenemy_. He was determined to keep that relationship. They’d worked hard _together_ to forgive, to move on, to begin again. Riku wasn’t going to let all that work go down the drain. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

The twists of darkness circled the air and creeped along the floor. Roxas’ glare sharpened around the edges but there was a bleakness to it, a sorrowful detail in the depth of his eyes that Riku had to search for.

“We’re not close like that, Riku,” Roxas choked out, and meant it. The words sounded final as they pierced Riku’s heart and made him sit back in his chair.

Riku could sense it, the imbalance in Roxas’ heart. Dark threatened to engulf light, but a resolute spark burned on. The same spark that burned bright in every wielder. He was reminded of their altercation on the balcony. Darkness had flowed off of Roxas in tormented currents, Oblivion aimed mere breaths away from Riku's heart. He’d seen the pain in Roxas' stare so clearly. Bright blue clouded over with limpid tears.

Riku recognized that anguish, that deep seated hurt that never truly went away. Riku's heart had nearly been crushed with it, and as he stared at Oblivion, he thought of the time he'd fallen into a cold, quiet dark.

That's why he'd grabbed hold of the blade, the physical manifestation of his past mistakes and his journey to right them. As memories came flooding back, the hurt grew stronger. It became a part of him. But light... Light had a way of fixing things, of alleviating that hurt. Being forgiven, being accepted, being loved... Riku carried that light in his heart.

Riku thought they'd gotten over the worst of it, but their relationship was a journey in itself. They'd crawled out of the darkness and now they sat somewhere in between, unsure of which step to take. Roxas especially so, with such a bedimmed heart.

"I'd like to be," Riku whispered, wondering if the words even needed to be said. How many times had he made his intentions clear? He _wanted_ to be friends with Roxas, that hadn't changed, but something else had. Some newly slotted piece of the puzzle had been jostled out of place and Riku was trying to figure out why. Was it something he said or did? Something he _didn't _say or do?

Riku fiddled with his fingers, analyzing, trying to figure out a way to fix a problem he didn't fully understand. As darkness coated the room and made Riku feel more comfortable than anything else, he tried to think on what to say to make Roxas understand that being friends wouldn't be as terrible as being enemies.

Roxas' eyes were chilling, as cold as the darkness that Riku had fallen into. His fingers curled into his blanket, white knuckled and trembling with barely suppressed rage that Riku was certain he didn't deserve.

"What do you want Roxas, really?" Riku asked, voice raw. His green eyes stared past the grueling pale blue winter, though dark forests and past shivering rains. He wanted the truth. He wanted honesty. Riku had been honest the whole weekend, for the entire _visit_. Was it too much to ask that Roxas treat him with the same courtesy?

The blizzard stopped for a moment. The darkness stilled, the overwhelming rage subsided in those blue eyes. Roxas looked at him with such... confliction. Such agony. Riku was tired of seeing that expression on Roxas’ face. Once had been _more_ than enough. He couldn’t take anymore.

"What I can't have," Roxas answered quietly, an ache in his voice that pulled at Riku's heartstrings in a distinct way. He understood that emotion, that frustrated willingness to sit back and watch quietly, to smile and suffer in silence. Roxas' eyes were a mirror, a reflection of what Riku himself had been through, what he was fighting against even now.

But... why did Roxas feel that way?

Riku sensed Sora before he heard the impatient tap on the window. The lamentable look in Roxas' eyes fled as soon as Sora appeared, replaced by paltered joy. Or, perhaps... buried under it, shoved down deep where no one could see it but him.

Riku clenched his jaw, his fingers digging into his own skin as he lowered his head. He held the puzzle piece and turned it over in his hands, examining it, looking over the rest of the halfway done project. What _was_ it? That pain that Riku felt didn’t have anything to do with him personally. They’d discussed everything, from kidnapping to stolen munny. What else was there? What else connected them? Separated them? What… or _who? _

Riku sat back as a startling realization chilled him to his very core. His mind and heart argued with each other, but that didn’t change the truth of it. How it made perfect sense as he stared at the disjointed piece in his hand.

Roxas had feelings for Sora.

A gust of wind flew into the room as Roxas opened the window for Sora. There was laughter, the sound of plastic wrappings being pulled off and tossed aside, general conversation and grateful words. Riku tuned all of it out as he looked down at his hands, as they shook under the weight of it all, as his breaths quickened. What was he... What was he supposed to _do?_

There was a hand on his shoulder and Riku’s head snapped up, quicker than he meant to. Sora jumped back slightly, looking concerned. He held out a bar of sea-salt ice cream for Riku to take. “You alright?”

Rattled, he took the ice cream with weak fingers and a tremble in his voice. “Yeah,” Riku replied and held the cold treat in his hands with no intention of eating it. He was blind to Roxas’ forlorn gazes, to Sora’s worried glances, to the old routine that they settled into. Sora became the conversationalist and navigated the odd tension between him and Roxas, just as he’d done before skateparks and t-shirt shops.

Riku’s ice cream melted inside the packaging. He gave it to Sora after a time and neither of them commented on his lack of appetite.

They said goodbye to Roxas once the ice cream was finished. Well, _Sora_ said goodbye. Riku gave him a look that he was certain failed to convey the hurricane of emotions that were whirling around in his chest. Roxas’ look wasn’t any better, miserable, melancholy and… was that guilt?

Well.

Riku turned away before he could give that any serious thought. Sora closed Roxas’ bedroom door and they headed toward the back door. Naminé appeared from the top of the stairs at the sound of Riku summoning his keyblade. She hurried down, nearly tripping and falling a few times. She must’ve read the expression on Riku’s face, because her smile fell as soon as he turned to regard her.

“Did something happen…?” She asked, looking between them. Sora turned to Riku, leaving the answer up to him.

“Nothing happened,” Riku lied, not wanting to trouble Naminé over _feelings_ when their world was in danger. “I’ve just got some things I need to take care of.”

“Oh,” Naminé said, nodding her head. She placed her hand on Riku’s shoulder and reached down to take Sora’s hand. “Xion told me she and Lea didn’t find anything, but the wind has calmed down for the moment. If you hurry, you should be able to leave without any trouble.”

Sora smiled kindly at her. “Thank you, Naminé,” he said, giving her another warm hug. “I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Okay!” Naminé sounded elated at the promise and that eased the hurt in Riku’s heart just the slightest bit. Once they pulled away, Naminé reached down to give Riku’s left hand a squeeze. She looked up at him and it felt like… she knew. Riku wouldn’t be surprised if she did. Naminé was perceptive. It likely took her minutes to figure out what Riku had _just _discerned himself.

Riku squeezed back, a weary smile the best he could manage. “We’ll see you soon, Naminé.”

“Let Xion and Lea know we missed seeing them!” Sora said, taking on the reigns of pleasantries that Riku often times found difficult.

“I will,” Naminé promised. She watched as Riku unlocked the door. She watched as they passed through it. She smiled sadly as they made their way to the gummiship, Sora turning around to wave goodbye to her.

They walked in silence for all of ten seconds before Sora looked at him. “Did Roxas say something to you while I was gone? Do I need to turn around?”

“No,” Riku lied again, hating how easily the word slipped out. He just set a record for the most lies he’d told in a single day.

Sora stopped him once they’d entered the clearing. The wind was nothing but a breeze now, a chill that raised goosebumps and rustled leaves. Compared to the literal cyclones earlier, it was pathetic. “Riku, if you don’t want to talk about what happened, that’s okay. But… I know how important your friendship with Roxas is, and—”

“We’re not friends,” Riku corrected instantly, eyes guarded. He couldn’t even focus on Sora’s hand on his bicep, his sweet voice in Riku’s ear. “We’re frenemies.”

Sora didn’t let go, not even as Riku took another step toward the gummiship. “Th-that’s fine! Things change, you know that. Every frien—_relationship_ has bumps and arguments.”

Riku appreciated that cold dose of reality but what he’d just realized was much more than a bump or an argument. It was something that was meant to stay hidden away but had accidentally been brought to light due to the pain in Roxas’ eyes and the strain in his voice.

He took a moment to change his expression and put on a brave face for Sora. “You’re right,” Riku said, looking over at his best friend with a fake, easygoing smile. “It’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Sora saw right through him. He narrowed his eyes and held on tighter, moved closer, as if afraid Riku was going to close in on himself again, retreat into the shadows and shoulder his pain alone. “Don’t do that,” Sora told him, his voice quiet and saddened by Riku’s false words. “I know it’s bothering you.”

A part of Riku _wanted _to fall into old habits. To isolate and tiredly argue with himself about what was best for everyone but him. But as he looked into Sora’s eyes, the same ones that’d helped him time and time again, that had worked so hard to save him, to reach him, to embrace him and welcome him back with open arms… Riku knew he couldn’t do that. He was following his heart now, and that meant he needed to change.

But change was _difficult_. It was easy to relapse, but it took discipline, perseverance, and the support of close friends to keep at it. He needed to remember that. To surround himself with light instead of falling into the cold embrace of the dark.

Riku turned and gingerly took the hand Sora so delicately placed on his arm in his own. “Sora, I can’t… I can’t tell you.”

“Okay,” Sora whispered, moved his free hand top of Riku’s. He immediately began to rub consoling circles along the back of Riku’s knuckles. “I don’t mind that. I trust you. But don’t… don’t hide by yourself. I’m here.”

Those words did something to Riku. So sincere and real, just like the look in Sora’s eyes. Brown eyebrows were drawn together, lips pulled up in a hesitant smile, metal crown necklace catching the sparse light of day and shining against his chest. Sora _was_ here, right beside him. Not worlds away, not out of his reach, not beyond his sight.

Sora was here, and he _trusted _him.

Riku looked down at their joined hands, calloused fingertips running along the back of Riku’s pale skin. He smiled, feeling himself get teary-eyed. “Yeah, you are,” he whispered, the words an affirmation to himself. Riku separated their hands for a moment, just so that he could see them properly intertwined. They fit together so nicely, Riku thought. Bruised, imperfect, but _together_ nonetheless.

“We don’t have to talk about today,” Sora told him, a flush to his cheeks, a pep in his smile that’d previously been missing. “I just don’t want you to be by yourself.”

Riku smiled bashfully, looking away as he felt the darkness that had been hanging over him like a raincloud disperse as the sun emerged from behind it. “Okay.”

Sora smiled in return. He stepped forward, forcing Riku to raise his head and look him in the eye. “Let’s go home,” he said, eyes caring and lovely. “We can get pizza!”

Well, he couldn’t very well say no to that. Riku needed a distraction and he never had any qualms with spending time with Sora. “Sounds like a plan.”

Sora beamed and swung their hands only once before letting go. They turned their attention to the gummiship and the ramp that slowly rolled out to allow them up. On the way inside, the wind began to pick up again. Riku adjusted his shirt and gave one last glance to the mansion. It still stood high amongst the trees of the forest, relatively undamaged from the heavy winds. He could still sense Roxas’ heart despite the current distance, but he paid it no mind.

As Riku stepped further inside, he saw that Sora was already seated in the cockpit. He was grateful for that; he didn’t feel like driving after the visit they’d just had. They traded places and he took his seat in one of the chairs.

When he sat down, his phone vibrated in his front pocket. Riku made a fool out of himself as he hastily pulled it out, nearly dropping it on the hard ground. He thought it was Roxas at first, but he couldn’t be more wrong as he read the contents of the message.

**Kai**: _Riku, let me know when you get home. There’s something you need to know. _

He’d had a feeling. All day, he’d had a _feeling_ that something larger was going to happen. Duty took precedence over emotions and so he squashed them down, sitting forward in his seat as Sora created a gate in his periphery. He asked Kairi for any details she could spare at the moment, talked with Ventus for his input, and discussed the situation with Aqua after he’d gotten some responses.

Riku didn’t notice the ship come to life, didn’t notice them rising steadily in the air, and he didn’t notice them zooming off into a multicolored swirl.

But he did notice the _second _he couldn’t sense Roxas’ heart, that formerly darkened core that now, gradually, righted itself to become a perfect balance of darkness and light. Riku’s fingers faltered, his message half complete as he stared down at his phone.

They flew through the cosmos. Asteroids and worlds passed them by as Sora expertly steered them through the minefield of heartless ships. Riku looked up to gaze out the window at the stars. They glimmered beautifully amongst the grim vastness of space, beacons of hope placed delicately in its grasp. Blue, pink and white, they sparked brightly and lit the way home.

Riku tried to memorize their placement, to inscribe their locations on an internal map but they passed them by so quickly. A fleeting moment of beauty that Riku was lucky to behold, but it wasn’t the time to think about ferry rides and constellations.

Maybe distance was what they needed. Time, space, a readjustment period for them both to come to decide what they wanted out of their relationship. If it would remain the way it was, strained and uncomfortable, or if they’d work together once again to improve it.

Or if they’d drop it entirely, call it a day and take pride in the fact that no one could say they hadn’t tried.

When nothing was left but empty space and floating rocks, he returned his attention back to his phone. He was determined to get to the bottom of the strange occurrences _before _they led to some world threatening catastrophe that required all of them to drop their normal lives and fight to save the universe once again.

Riku would stand between the endless void and the people he cared about. He’d protect the connections that he’d worked so hard to keep. He would devote himself to safeguarding their happiness, no matter what awaited them.

**Author's Note:**

> hahaa,, LISTEN OKAY. This series is about twelve parts long, give or take, and things WILL be happening! Romance, plot points, suspense, and... MORE! Follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/AspectedMalefic) for updates or subscribe to me here. Either way! This is gonna be a long, emotional ride and I hope you guys stick with me!


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